Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadow Riders ❯ Debts ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4~ Debts?

Back at the well, Inuyasha had finally come out of his shocked state. As he looked up, he saw that Kagome and Hiei were gone. 'If I can't have Kikyo, I'll have Kagome. After all Kagome is really Kikyo's incarnation, and that means that she's really Kikyo.

Inuyasha stood up and began to track their scents. When he did find them, it was really faint, which means that Kagome is really far away. He growled, gave a threatening look to his companions and the newcomers, then dashed off following their trail.

He had been traveling for about an hour when he reached a cherry grove. It was in full bloom, and he could smell Kagome really close. He walked to the center of the grove where he found a really large tree and looked up. There in the branches were Hiei and Kagome. 'No, he will not take Kikyo from me she's mine. She loves me!' He was about to shout when Kagome mumbled something in her sleep.

"Mmmm, Hiei." He was pissed, and even further enraged when he saw Kagome snuggle into the apparitions embrace.

"God Damn It! Hiei get your filthy hands off of her! She's mine. No one is allowed to touch her!" He yelled at the top of his voice. It was so loud in fact, that Sesshoumaru heard it and rushed in the direction the voice was coming from.

'It's time to repay my debt to the young miko.' Sesshoumaru thought as he remembered the day he had gained that debt.

~^~^~Flashback~^~^~

Kagome had been walking to the village after coming back early. She had just left the clearing with the well when she heard a little girl scream in the forest. Without thinking, Kagome drew her bow and rushed off to find the source of the voice. She didn't have to go far when a little girl came rushing out of the foliage.

"Kagome-neesan!" Rin ran behind her and told Kagome that a scorpion youkai was chasing her. He was right behind her. Kagome waited for him to enter the clearing, then shot him between the eyes with a purified arrow. After it disintegrated, Kagome looked at Rin, she was covered in scrapes and bruises, but otherwise seemed fine.

"Rin-chan, what are you doing here? Where's Sesshoumaru-san and Jaken?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama is off pa-pa-patrolling, and Jaken lost Rin." Rin looked close to tears, she didn't like being lost, not at all.

"Well, why don't you join me for a bath, and we can make a camp to wait for Sesshoumaru." Rin smiled, and went to the river to bathe.

When they were finished, Kagome gave Rin one of her extra big shirts, and tied it at the waist making it look like a kimono. She then set out her sleeping bag for Rin to lie on until the dinner was ready. She and Rin were waiting for the water to boil when Sesshoumaru arrived.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!!" Rin squealed with delight as she ran up to her father figure and embraced his leg. "Rin was so scared, Jaken lost Rin and then the youkai found Rin and tried to eat Rin. Then Rin ran and Kagome- neesan found Rin and killed the mean youkai, then Rin and Kagome-neesan took a bath and Kagome-neesan gave Rin this Kimono. Then Kagome-neesan and Rin talked while the water cooked."

She took a breath, and Sesshoumaru took this chance to speak, "I thank you for protecting my ward, even though you know she belongs to me." With that he turned and walked out of the clearing.

"Sayonara Kagome-neesan." Rin yelled while following her lord.

Kagome stood shocked for a moment, 'Did he just thank me?!?!?!?!?!'

~^~^~End Flashback~^~^~

Inuyasha continued to yell at Hiei even after he awoke, but he wasn't paying attention. Kagome was stirring in his arms, and it was doing strange things to him. 'Ohh god, if she doesn't stop, I'm going to take her here and now.'

Finally, Kagome's eyes opened and she looked into Hiei's red eyes. She smiled at him, which further enraged Inuyasha.

'That's it!!' "She's mine!!" He yelled at them and launched himself at the branch they were perched at. Kagome didn't even have time to register this until she and Hiei had jumped out of the tree and landed several feet away. Kagome was still in Hiei's arms. He put her down and drew his katana and took on a fighting stance. Inuyasha withdrew Tessiaga and took a stance of his own.

This was the scene Sesshoumaru walked in on. 'What's going on here?' He saw his brother about to attack a demon, who seemed to be protecting Kagome. Kagome looked confused, as if she had just awoken, but that look swiftly changed to one of rage at Inuyasha's next words.

"Give her back to me!! Kikyo is mine." Sesshoumaru was about to attack when out of nowhere, a large black cat leapt at Inuyasha and pinned him to the ground. It growled at Inuyasha and snapped at his face. What came next shocked Sesshoumaru to his core.

"You were warned Inuyasha, Shan says if it wasn't for the fact that I need you to help defeat Naraku, you would be dead for that insult. I told you Shan is very protective of me, just as any Shadow is of his Rider." Kagome said with such a cold voice, that hell would have been turned into a winter land.

Sesshoumaru decided to make himself known with the ancient greeting between Riders, "From the blackest night, I greet you Rider, as my Shadow crosses your path, how may I offer my services?"

Kagome was shocked, but answered in the traditional manner, "Let me take shelter from the light and my Shadow mingle with yours." At the last word, Shan sprang from his position and stood midway between Kagome and Sesshoumaru. Kagome's headband disintegrated at the power emanating from her mark.

A silver Shadow leapt from Sesshoumaru as she came up to Shan and they joined in a swirl of silver and black. The crescent moon on Sesshoumaru's forehead turned black as he released the glamour he held on it, and with his Shadow's forthcoming, a silver cat appeared lounging in the crescent. The flowers on Sesshoumaru's hakama turned black as the material itself turned a glimmering silver. The stripes on his face and wrists became as black as his crescent moon.

The Shadow's split and Shan said to Kagome, 'Her name is Tsubasa, she is his Shadow.'

Tsubasa said to Sesshoumaru, 'His name is Shando, he is her Shadow.'

With the formal greeting over, Kagome looked into Sesshoumaru's now silver eyes and approached him, "From one Rider to the other, may the favor be repaid one day." With that she took the stump of his severed limb, and used her miko powers to return it to him. She then returned to Hiei's side and introduced them.

"Hiei, this is Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, and Rider to Tsubasa. Sesshoumaru, this is Hiei, my friend, and sparring partner. What are you doing here?"

With that Inuyasha snapped out of his trance, "Yeah, what the hell are you doing here? And since when have you been a Rider?"

Sesshoumaru growled, but before he could do anything, "Oswari! Inuyasha, you need to learn some manners, and why did you attack us? And what the hell do you think you were doing calling me by that bitch's name?!?!" Kagome was pissed, you could tell by the flaring of her aura and Shan's incessant growling.

"What the hell did you do that for bitch? I don't need to have manners where my brother is concerned, and why the hell did you give him back his arm? As for calling you Kikyo, you are her incarnation." Inuyasha yelled at her.

This time it was Hiei who pinned him by the throat against a tree, "Don't speak of which you know nothing."

Kagome walked up to Hiei's side and glared at him. "When a Rider comes to visit me, I will do as I please. You will have manners, and how many god damned times do I have to tell you that I am not that bitch's reincarnation?!?!? If you can't learn to behave yourself, I will knock you unconscious every time someone comes to visit." With that she looked at Sesshoumaru and Hiei, 'Come on, lets go somewhere we can talk.'

The three of them left at top speed, leaving a very disgruntled hanyou in their wake. They were about ten miles away when they reached Sesshoumaru's camp. Shan and Tsubasa had joined with their Riders, and Hiei stayed close to Kagome's side.

As they stopped a young girl threw herself at Sesshoumaru, "Sesshoumaru-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama! Jaken said that you left Rin and weren't coming back for her." This enraged Kagome to no end. She thought of Rin as a sister, and no one had the right to talk to her family like that. She got an evil gleam in her eye and pulled out a set of rosary beads while chanting a spell she had learned from Kaede. The beads glowed and surrounded Jaken's neck.

"Rin-chan, when Jaken is mean to you just say bad. Ok?" Kagome asked innocently.

"Hai Kagome-neesan, when Jaken is mean Rin will say 'bad.'" Thus saying, Jaken slammed into the ground and ate dirt. Sesshoumaru Hiei, and Kagome all had identically evil smirks on their faces. Rin looks a little confused, then walks over to Jaken, "Is Jaken ok?"

"Stupid ningen, get away from me!" Jaken yelled at her.

Rin looked like she was going to cry, she turned to her Kagome- neesan, then remembered what she told her, "Jaken bad!" Once again, Jaken meet dirt, dirt meet Jaken. Rin smiled, "Now Rin's just like neesan, neesan says 'oswari,' and the baka falls down, Rin says 'bad,'" Here Jaken visits his new friend again, "and Jaken falls down." Rin smiles happily, then continues on her way.

Kagome just smiles, then returns to the business at hand. "Was there something you wanted Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"No, I just thought that now would be a good time to repay my debt to you. I wish to offer my assistance in the upcoming battle with Naraku." Sesshoumaru said, he had been thinking of Kagome like a little sister, a little sister who he needed to protect.

"Arigato Oniisan, and before you say anything, I'm calling you that because you act like an older brother, that's how I see you." Kagome said while grabbing Hiei's hand, "We have to go, I want to make sure Shippo's ok. I'll let everyone know you're coming. See you in about an hour?" Kagome asked.

"Hai, I'll be there, Imouto." Sesshoumaru said. Kagome smiled at being called little sister, then she and Hiei left to find their companions.

A few minutes later, they were back at the well clearing, and had explained about Sesshoumaru's eminent arrival.

"Are you sure he can be trusted Kagome?" Sango asked, she trusted her 'sister' more than anything, if she said he could be trusted, then he could be trusted.

"Hai Sango-chan, he wants to get rid of Naraku too, this way it's a win-win situation. Plus, it seems that Rin is a bit of a miko, and I can train her while we travel."

"Kagome-sama, what are you going to tell Inuyasha, you know how he is when it comes to his brother." Miroku asked.

"I'll tell him to mind his own business, we need the help, and he offered." She left out the fact that is was to repay a debt, but had told them he had both arms.

"Ano, Kagome-chan, could you please explain who Sesshoumaru is, and why do you think you can trust him?"

Kagome looked at her cousin, then at the rest of the Spirit Detectives, and explained the story. Half an hour after their departure from Sesshoumaru.

"Plus, I know I can trust him because he is a Rider." Everyone was shocked at this, but decided not to ask any more questions. It was at this time that Inuyasha decided to join the group.

~^~^~25 Minutes later~^~^~

It had taken much explaining, and a lot of sits before Inuyasha agreed that Sesshoumaru could join the group. "Ohh, by the way, Inuyasha and Yusuke, keep a lid on the swearing, Sesshoumaru's bringing Rin, and she doesn't need to be exposed to your vivid vocabulary." Yusuke just nodded to Kagome, Inuyasha on the other hand decided that he would add his own two cents.

"I'll say whatever I want bitch, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Inuyasha," came Sesshoumaru's smooth voice from a little ways off, "I would suggest you heed her advice."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll give you another subduing necklace, one that Rin can use." Kagome said.

"Rin can't use a subduing necklace, she's not a miko." Inuyasha scoffed.

"She can, I'm starting her lessons tomorrow, and if you don't believe me, ask Jaken, he already has one." Kagome stated smugly.

Inuyasha got a disbelieving look on his face, but that quickly faded as Sesshoumaru, Rin, and a rosary bearing Jaken walked into the clearing. "Keh, that doesn't prove she's a miko!"

Of course, Rin was curious at this statement, so was Sesshoumaru, though he had heard the entire conversation, "Who's a miko Neesan?"

"You are Rin, you know how you make Jaken fall down when he's bad?" Rin nodded, "Well, you can do that because you are a miko. If it's ok with you and Sesshoumaru-sama, I want to be your sensei. Is it ok?" Kagome asked.

Rin got a pleading look on her face as she stared up at her Sesshoumaru-sama. "Can Rin, please!?!?!?!"

Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin, "What do you say?"

"Ano, can I?" She asked.

"Hai, if your sensei will teach you to defend yourself, speak properly, read, write, do math, and herb lore as well as train your miko abilities."

Kagome looked slightly affronted at this, "That would be part of her training anyways. She needs to know how to defend herself against humans and youkai alike, that's part of a miko's responsibilities to her village. If she travels, she will need to be able to protect herself as well. As for reading, writing, and math, that all ties in with herb lore, which is also a basic miko skill. She will need to be able to measure the right amounts of each herb, as well as be able to read and write labels for each of her stored herbs. God, what do you think miko's do, purify away their problems?" Kagome asked incredulously.

Sesshoumaru refrained from answering that, seeing as how that is exactly what he thought they did. "I just wished to make sure you were going to cover all her areas of education Imouto."

Kagome melted at that. She loved being called Imouto, "It's all right Oniisan, I'm just a little stressed, I didn't mean to snap at you."

The Inu-gumi were shocked to say the least, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were referring to each other as siblings, and Sesshoumaru was acting like a whipped dog from Kagome's chastisement.

Of course, being the kitsune he is, Shippo got a mischievous glint in his eye and ran at Sesshoumaru, "Does this mean you're my uncle now?" He asked as he perched on the taiyoukai's shoulder.

Kagome smirked looking around at her companion's flabbergasted looks. 'Ohh, say yes, please?! I have got to see the looks on their faces.' Kagome sent with childish delight, while sending him the 'puppy dog' look.

Sesshoumaru mentally sighed while patting the kit on the head, "Hai, why don't you go play with Rin?" Shippo smiled happily and ran off with Rin. "Itouto, you will catch many flies like that." He said while looking at Inuyasha's slack jawed appearance.

Inuyasha quickly closed his mouth, and jumped into the nearest tree giving his infamous "Keh!"

It was then that Kuwabara, with his legendary thinking skills asked, "You're related to those two?!?!?!"

Kagome and Sesshoumaru sweat dropped, Hiei got a blank look, everyone else fell over, Inuyasha out of his tree.

"You, baka, it's just an endearment, what the hell is wrong with you?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Oswari! Inuyasha, don't make me live up to my threat, you won't like it." Inuyasha visibly paled, but stayed silent the rest of the night.